Oakland Athletics acquire Fernando Rodney from Twins

Already having added to their bullpen, the Oakland Athletics added even more depth Thursday night, acquiring Fernando Rodney from the Minnesota Twins

The Oakland Athletics already sport one of the deepest bullpens in baseball, but with a deep bullpen being a seeming necessity among playoff teams this season, the A’s added yet another proven bullpen arm. Thursday night, they acquired closer Fernando Rodney from the Minnesota Twins for pitching prospect Dakota Chalmers.

Sixteen-year veteran Fernando Rodney is one of the more colorful players in all of the major leagues, known for his trademark arrow-shooting that he does after each save. He’s also been known for his electric fastball/change combination becoming quite hittable and struggling with control late in the game, making him a pretty exciting closer for all the wrong reasons, often leaving fans’ pulses racing as he puts multiple runners on base before shutting the door.

He can have moments of brilliance, though, and his age certainly isn’t indicated by his upper-90s fastball. Some have pointed to decreased velocity this season, but instead it’s not that Rodney has truly had decreased velocity, but that he worked with the Twins pitching brass to change his sinker grip this year, and he’s using it more than he ever has, allowing his already-effective changeup to play up even further.

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This reliance on his sinker has led to better control, with the first season under 10% walks for Rodney since 2014. His strikeout rate is not at an elite level, but he’s also allowing the best soft contact rate since 2011.

Rodney will slot into a 7th/8th inning role for the Oakland Athletics, which should add depth to their late-inning options.

What the Oakland Athletics gave up

To acquire Rodney, the A’s gave up former top draft pick Dakota Chalmers, a third-round selection in 2015 out of high school in Georgia. Chalmers has flashed incredible stuff at times, but he’s struggled with consistency on and off the field. He’s recovering from Tommy John surgery and will be back at some point next summer.

This acquisition for the Oakland Athletics was made on a waiver claim. With teams like the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians both badly in need of an arm like Rodney’s and in front of Oakland in the claim process, this could look like a shrewd move in a few months if Oakland’s lengthened bullpen can mean postseason success.